WOMEN'S CHALLENGE - Weekly Support/Motivation/Whatever Thread - Week 2/26

[Natalia]

Originally Posted by stingo

Isn't Ezekiel bread refrigerated because it's made with no preservatives?

correct!

[Karen411]

Originally Posted by RedWifey

What's motivating me today is the awesome pair of UnderArmour pants that I picked up earlier this week.

Sometimes I am really shallow...

That's not shallow at all--I love workout clothes, but I have a gift card for jeans from DH for Christmas. I told him I want new jeans (I adore jeans !), but I'm waiting a few weeks to use it so I can figure out what size I'm going to be for a while. I guess that's the answer to what's motivating me today.

In the long term, I gotta agree with the rest of you that I wanna look good nekkid, too.

[missjane]

Originally Posted by Karen411

In the long term, I gotta agree with the rest of you that I wanna look good nekkid, too.

And, thus, the very first goal in the very first post of my log! Me too!

[LisaS]

motivators:
1) beat my genes - example, mom (83) has shrunk - we used to be same height - she's at least 2 inches smaller now. She's had bad O.A. since her 40s. Mom's mom - type 2 diabetes.
2) training hard and eating clean is the way to get fit and lose weight - and I need to do that - I want to work out to support an active lifestyle - but I don't have an active lifestyle because I'm fat and lazy and unfit so ... what needs to change? Everything.
3) I want to be a kickass old lady - and I've only got 15-20 years to prepare for that. The one setting age group titles in Oly lifts or masters swimming or golf long drive contests. The one that everyone in the neighborhood looks at and thinks "dang, she's in her sixties/seventies/eighties"?
4) I want to be comfortable (looks) and fit enough to resume going to the beach and body surfing. Haven't done that in 20+ years - and I live within a couple miles of the one of the best spots in O.C. This summer, I want to go again.
5) I turn 50 in 2009. Nuff said on that.

ETA: oh, and look good nekkid

[Natalia]

Originally Posted by Karen411

That's not shallow at all--I love workout clothes, but I have a gift card for jeans from DH for Christmas. I told him I want new jeans (I adore jeans !), but I'm waiting a few weeks to use it so I can figure out what size I'm going to be for a while. I guess that's the answer to what's motivating me today.

In the long term, I gotta agree with the rest of you that I wanna look good nekkid, too.

I love jeans, too. I'd sleep in'em if I could.

I was in a similar situation 2 years ago. I was size 18 at the time. After a while I went down to 14 and was soooo psyched and spent like $500 at Lucky Brand jeans. Well, pretty soon I went down in size again. Had to sell my like-new-looking jeans on eBay. I had to refer to eBay's help to recover my expenses a few more times

[UConnJulie]

Nutbar, you can make your own sprouted bread in the bread machine. It's a bit more work to sprout all the ingredients, but worth it. I have a recipe around here somewhere, and I'll try to dig it up (I moved a crapload of cookbooks out of the kitchen when I found out that I am gluten-intolerant ... and I think it might be in one of those). If I haven't posted it in a few days, PM me and remind me!! I can be a bit scattered ...

[nutbar]

Originally Posted by UConnJulie

Nutbar, you can make your own sprouted bread in the bread machine. It's a bit more work to sprout all the ingredients, but worth it. I have a recipe around here somewhere, and I'll try to dig it up (I moved a crapload of cookbooks out of the kitchen when I found out that I am gluten-intolerant ... and I think it might be in one of those). If I haven't posted it in a few days, PM me and remind me!! I can be a bit scattered ...

Thanks, that'd be great if/when you get the chance!

[afterburn]

OK finally back ! Man has this week been busy!!
I am going to be short& sweet , on the way as I type , we are off to the beach & hubby is saying " LET's GO " Ok hum, just turning it off !


reasons why I e/c & w/o !

OK ! This is horrible but. I don;t wanna be the "FAT MOM" at my kids school ........... Kids can be SO MEAN , my mom was always heavy ( still is & I LOVE HER )& I remember how it was..... I have lost
36 lbs this year & that was my starting motivation!

Now , I eat clean or ( mostly) clean because I just feel so great when I do...... same about the w/o !!!! I feel so great & the bedroom HINT HINT gets used for other than sleeping a lot more now that I feel better about myself !!!! YIPPY KY YI YO !!!!!

I want to look like Tosca Reno when I am 50 !!!! She looks awesome. , but other than (vain) looks I just want to be healthy & happy for my hubby & Children & Grandchildren ( in the ways away future ) Afterburn

[campingmom]

Diane, I see now! That makes a lot more sense! I kept thinking "How could she not know about Kashi?" Hope you can manage to choke it down. Still, seems like there has got to be a better way. If I don't like something, trying to eat it just gets worse with time, not easier. Good luck!!

riversbend, No laughing at all. There are many mornings when the only thing that gets me to the gym is the thought of the eye candy I'll get there (e.g., some seriously HOT men!). I'm a happily married woman, but I see no reason not to enjoy the view while I'm working out!

Oh, and I also get totally motivated by new workout clothes! Bought some this week, in fact. AND I have to take them back because I didn't try them on, just bought my usual size. And they're all TOO BIG!!!!! Now THAT was some good motivation, uh huh!

[fengshway]

afterburn, I agree! I plan on being one hot 50 year old.

[nutbar]

Originally Posted by campingmom

There are many mornings when the only thing that gets me to the gym is the thought of the eye candy I'll get there (e.g., some seriously HOT men!). I'm a happily married woman, but I see no reason not to enjoy the view while I'm working out!

Man, I need to start up a public gym around these parts. (Nearest one is at least an hour away so I workout at home.) *cue Fantasy Island theme song now*

[SwimBikeRun]

Originally Posted by campingmom

There are many mornings when the only thing that gets me to the gym is the thought of the eye candy I'll get there (e.g., some seriously HOT men!). I'm a happily married woman, but I see no reason not to enjoy the view while I'm working out!

Amen, sista!!!

I love Mondays at my gym. For some reason, that's the night that all the hotties are at the gym. The rest of the week, they come on different days, but Mondays are definitely the best days to do weights!

[Littlemermaidklb]

I have a few motivations for working out (I eat well, but I don't think it's "clean")
The first of which is a career goal that I need to be in really good shape for. There are many others. Many people have been mentioning their mothers... My mom just turned 49 and she looks amazing for her age. But I will always remember a photo in one of our old photo albums taken about 5 months after my younger sister was born via C-section.... my mom is in our pool in a bikini floating my sis around and her stomach is flatter than pancake! How she did it I'll never know, but I definitely want to be able to bounce right back after having kids, when I'm ready to have them, the way she did.
And of course... being healthy trumps all.. my grandpa died at 56 of a sudden heart problem, and my uncle just passed away this past september at 51 in a similar way.... so I need to be healthy to be able to stick around for a long time.

[phit2at]

I wanted to get in on this blog. I just started two weeks ago and I have to tell you that after I got the program figured out, I've been sailing. My motivation is to get off medication for my newly diagnosed high blood pressure. I'm the "thin" one in the family and have always worked out but it seems that my stress level has been at an all time high and that's the reason for the medicine. I'm also 10 pounds heavier than last year and my cholesteral(sp) is up. My brother, mom are both extremely overweight and I see them struggle with walking and going up and down steps. My sister was overweight as well until last year. She's lost over 80 pounds and is looking and feeling great.

I'm 42 soon to be 43 and I want to be in great physical shape. My kickboxing students told me they could tell that I've lost weight which was such a great moment for me because they look at me every week and I'm sure their saying "wow she's big". I've always lifted weights so I've always had enormous muscles but I need to get rid of the excess fat and get more defined.

My whole attitude has changed since starting this program and I'm gonna try GOD willing to finish it. I'm at 25lb on the shoulder press, 110 on the seated row as well as the pulldown, 80 on the deadlifts but I'm keeping the squats at 50 pounds. I have LARGE quads and want them to stay the same or shrink a bit. Anyway, I have pictures but I'm not sure how to post them???

[Flashy]

I do this because I'm still living the dream. I'm in my mid-30s but I still play a lot of sports, even if they are at the recreational (but competitive!) level now. I still want to be the best skater, the best hitter I can be.

My motivation comes from the little steps along the way ... seeing my cheekbones again, having my cropped pants almost drop off my hips this morning.

Those are the vain ones.

I got a real sense of satisfaction last spring, though, when my bone density was tested during a fiber study at the local university. My T-score -- for which a healthy baseline is considered above minus-one, the normal scale for a healthy 18-year-old woman -- was plus-1.5.

My highest scores were on my leg and pelvic bones.

This was particularly satisfying as there is a risk of osteoporosis on my mother's side of the family. Despite living to the ripe old age of 95, my grandma started breaking bones around 82 or 83.

I don't want that concern in my life.